Braiding machine



Jan. 9, 1968 p, p DERGACHEV ET AL 3,362,283

BRAIDING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 9, 1968 P.P. DERGACHEV ET AL 3,362,283

' BRAIDING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet z 1963 P. P.DERGACHEV ET AL 3,362,283

BRAIDING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 9,1968 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A braiding machine in which a wire to bebraided is drawn through the machine relative to an inner stationarytable and an outer table arranged concentric to and rotatable withrespect to the stationary table, inner bobbin holders being mounted ongear racks concentrically disposed on the inner table for slidingmovement therealong and outer bobbin holders being fixed on carriersmounted on axles arranged along the perimeter of the outer table anddirected toward the common center of braid, a braid thread untwistingmechanism being located on the carriers for ensuring the turning of theouter bobbin holders during braiding and a drive for rotating the outertable and sliding the gear racks carrying the inner bobbin holders forcausing the threads to unwind from the bobbins onto the wire beingbraided.

The present invention relates to braiding machines, and moreparticularly to braiding machines provided with two rows of bobbinholders and which holders are contra-rotating and concentricallylocated.

The prior art braiding machines equipped with two rows of bobbin holdersmounted on two contra-rotating and concentrically located tables of thetype having a stationary inner component and a rotatable outer componentcomprise devices for feeding the wire which is braided and for itsdrawing, a device for lifting and lowering the braided material in theouter row and a device for reeling the braided wire.

During braiding in the above mentioned machines, the guiding of strandsfrom the spools of the outer row of the bobbin holders above or belowthe spools of the inner row of the bobbin holders is performed either bymeans of rocking levers, or rotating pinions which impart a cycloidalmotion to the strand. In a braiding machine employing rocking levers,the strand, while unwinding from the spools is not twisted, but, due tothe reciprocating motion of the levers and the Winding route passed bythe strand, is subjected to impact loads which might cause breakage ofthe strand in case of its small diameter due to the dissimilarity in theconditions of the strand unwinding from the spools of the fore and backrow bobbin holders. The strand passing through picks along a windingroute in a braiding machine provided with rotating pinions is subjectedto twisting which is also not permissible when the pieces are braidedwith metal wire.

An object of the present invention is to a machine for braiding wiresand a simultaneous untwisting of the strands unwound from the spools ofthe outer row of bobbin holders.

Another object of this invention is to provide a braiding machine whichreduces impact loads upon the strands.

In accordance with the invention, the above objects are attained in thatin the means for lifting and lowering the outer row of braiding materialis defined by at least one rotating casing eccentrically fixed on theouter table and carrying the bobbin holder.

In addition, to provide for the utilization of wires and strands ofwires as a braiding material, the rotating component is equipped with amechanism for untwisting the braiding material, with such mechanismfacilitating the turn of the bobbin holder about its axle and preventingthe twisting of wires or a strand of wires during braiding.

More specifically the untwisting mechanism comprises at least, three ora greater odd number of pinions, with one of the pinions beingstationarily mounted in the casing While the remaining pinions runaround the stationary pinion with the aid of the rotating casing, andthe bobbin holder axle is secured on the driven pinion.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the braiding machine;

FIG. 2. is a side elevational view of the braiding machine; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the principal gearing-of the braidingmachine.

All mechanisms of the braiding machine are located on a frameworkcmoprising a main frame 1 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), a lower or base plate 2and an upper plate 3. An electric motor 4 disposed within the frameworkthrough a V-belt and pulley arrangement 5 drives a shaft 6 of themachine drive which in turn via changeable pinions 7 and 8 rotates ashaft 9 (FIGS) for the drive of the mechanism for the wire braiding. Themachine is started by engaging a friction clutch 10 and braking means 11(FIG. 2.) becomes operable at the engagement and disengagement of thefriction clutch 10'.

The braiding of wire coiled in the process is accomplished through agauge 12 and for which purpose a wire 12 to be braided (FIG. 3) andstrands 13 consisting of metal wires for braiding are simultaneouslysupplied into said gauge. The wire 12 is drawn into the gauge 12 througha pipe 14 (FIGS. 1, 2) fixed on table 15 from the drum or spool 16 ofthe device accommodating the wire to be braided, while the strands 13are supplied from inner and outer spools 17 and 18 (FIG. 3) set in thebobbin holders 19 and 20 respectively of the wire braiding mechanismwhich is located on the upper plate 3.

The strands unwound from the spools 17 of the inner row during braidingare rotated about the machine axis. The strands unwound from the spools18 of the outer row are contra-rotated, simultaneously perform a rockingmotion in relation to the strands unwound from the spools 17 of theinner row. This motion of the strands is effected in the followingmanner. The shaft 9 driven by the electric motor 4 rotates bevel pinions21 and 22 mounted thereon (FIG. 3). The pinion 21 meshes with a pinion23 provided on a central hollow shaft 24 having a larger pinion 25 atits upper end and planet gears 26 mesh with the pinion 25. Planet gears27 on the shafts or axles carrying the gears 26 mesh with a sectionedgear rack 28. Hence, rotation of the pinion 21 effects rotation of thebobbin holders 19 located on a stationary table 28 about the axis of themachine.

In addition, the pinion 22 through pinion 29 rotates the table 15provided with a stationary pinion 30 carried by axle 31 in the oppositedirection. On the axle 31 are located a rigidly connected pinion 32 anda carrier 33- which are rotated about the axle 31 while running around astationary wheel 34. The axle 31 is located at an angle to thehorizontal plane thereby enabling the pinion 32 and the carrier 33 fixedon said axle raise and to lower the braiding wire during rotation. Thecarrier 33 is provided with two axles 35', 36 mounting a planet pinion37 and a driven pinion 38 carrying the bobbin holders 20 for the outerrow spools 18.

Thus, the strand 13 which is unwound from the outer row spools 18accomplishes two types of motion, i.e. a cycloidal motion resulting fromthe running of the pinion 32 around the stationary wheels 34 and arotary motion resulting from the running of the driven pinion 38 and theplanet pinion 37 about the stationary pinion 30. The strands unwound insuch a manner from the spools of the outer row execute a cycloidalmotion untwisting around the strand axis. A cycloidal motion of thestrands provides for similar conditions for the unwinding ofwire lacesfrom the spools of the fore and back rows and which condition isespecially important for the even tightening of the strands.

During braiding, the motion to the wire is imparted by a pulling Wheel39 located at the upper part of the machine. The braided Wire is guidedby a guide roller 40 and the pulling wheel 39 can be cranked manually bymeans of cranking mechanism 41. The braided wire is reeled onto a drum42 of the reeling means for the completed wire which is spread evenlyalong the drum 42 length by a suitable even Wind mechanism 43.

An adjustable tightening of the wire during braiding and the reeling onthe drum 4-2 is effected by a friction clutch 44 for the reeling meansfor the braided wire. The machine mechanisms can be cranked manually bymeans of a fly-Wheel 45 (FIG. 2) and the speed of the pulling Wheel 39may be changed by means of compound changeable pinions 46.

The absence in the present machine of any curved channels, levers andlace bobbins diminishes considerably the operational noise, simplifiesmanufacture and service of the machine and lessens the impact loads uponthe strand.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particularembodiment, it Will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made and equivalents substitutedtherefor without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What we claim is:

1. A wire braiding machine comprising a drum for accommodating the Wireto be braided, means for unwinding the Wire from the drum and drawingthe wire through the machine, aninner stationary table, an outer tableconcentric to and rotatable about the inner stationary table,concentrically disposed gear racks mounted for sliding movement alongthe inner stationary table, inner bobbin holders supported by said gearracks, axles arranged along the perimeter of the outer rotatable tableand directed towards the common center of braidings, carriers mounted onthe axles, outer bobbin holders fixed on the carriers and capable ofturning With respect to the axles, braid thread untwisting means locatedon said carriers for ensuring the turning of the outer bobbin holdersduring braiding, a drive means operably related to said gear racks andsaid outer table for moving the inner bobbin holdersand rotating theouter table respectively for causing the braid threads to unwind fromthe bobbins onto the wire being braided, and a take-up drum forreceiving the braided wire.

2. The wire braiding machine as claimed in claim 1 in which saiduntwisting means includes at least three pinions, one of said pinionsbeing fixed immovably on each axle of the outer table with the otherpinions running with respect to a fixed pinion and said outer bobbinholder having an axle secured to the last running pinion and retaining ahorizontal position during rolling.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,080 9/1926 Tober 87 -44JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner.

FRANK I. COHEN, Examiner.

